I’ve been a Dip Queen for decades and literally wrote the book on dips: Big Dip Energy. But sometimes I don’t want to make my own. Instead, I reach for store-bought dips to zhuzh up for summer hosting and give myself some easy meal prep afterward.
Costco is my go-to for guaranteed crowd-pleasing dips, and not just because of the value—many of the dips it carries are already popular grocery-store favorites, often packaged in larger sizes. I’m always on the lookout for unique new options and favorites I want to scoop up in bulk.
While browsing Costco recently, three new dips jumped out at me. One is vegan, one is vegetarian, and all three are light and bright to serve alongside classic dippers like crudités, chips, my favorite Stonefire Naan Dippers (also available at Costco), grilled meats and vegetables, and salads.
Check out the three dips below, what I’d serve with them, and some tips for adding a little extra pizazz if you’re serving up for a party, whether at a picnic, poolside, or cozy on the couch in the air conditioning. Dippers’ choice!
Ithaca Hummus Olive Oil Sea Salt Hummus (26 oz.)
I grew up near Ithaca, New York, and tried this hummus brand years ago because of its proximity to my hometown. And since then, I’ve exclusively bought it in all of its flavors (ranging from French Onion to Lemon Beet) because it is the most homemade-tasting hummus out there.
It’s ultra creamy with minimal ingredients: chickpeas, extra-virgin olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, salt, garlic, and a little red pepper flakes. It also contains citric acid to help maintain freshness, so it just has a little extra tang but without the funky flavors I’ve noticed in some other brands.
This is a blank canvas for additional flavors. It has an ideal dipscocity (aka viscosity and texture) where it clings to the dipper even when turned upside down but isn’t too thick.
Best ways to serve
- In a shallow, wide bowl with swooshes made with the back of a spoon for “dipvots” to hold drizzles of olive oil (either high-quality plain or infused with garlic, citrus, or spice)
- Sprinkle the hummus with fresh chopped herbs like parsley, cilantro, and chives.
- Surround it with assorted crunchy crudités like halved radishes, carrots, or cucumbers cut into “chips” on the bias, or bell pepper strips.
- You can also shave veggies with a peeler or the ⅛-inch setting on a mandoline and drop them into ice water for “veggie ribbons.” They are pliable and easy to drag through dip for an ideal dip-to-dipper ratio, especially if you wrap one around a crunchy cracker or chip.
- Serve with Beef Kofte or Salmon, Scallion, and Asparagus Skewers for a protein dipper! Add some lettuce cups (such as Boston Bibb or Little Gem), cabbage, or pita to wrap ’em up with dip drizzled inside like a sandwich, or wrap everything inside and dunk the whole shebang in dip!
- Add a topping of Spiced Ground Lamb or another ground meat of your choice.
Good Foods Avocado Green Goddess (24 oz.)
This is summer in a dip! Made with Greek yogurt, lemon zest and juice, and white wine vinegar, this green goddess has a pronounced tang that is mellowed out by the avocado and balanced by herbs and alliums (shallot, green onion, garlic, basil, and dill). There is mayonnaise in it too, which gives it some decadence without weighing down the dip and helps the overall dipscocity so it stays on your dipper without dripping but doesn’t overpower with flavor.
Best ways to serve
- Like with hummus, crudités of any sort are always a good idea. You can go with a green theme and serve alongside snap peas, asparagus, and raw or blanched broccoli, or eat the rainbow with an assortment like carrots, peppers, cucumbers, and celery.
- Crispy, salty potato chips (especially ridge-cut or kettle-cooked) and tortilla chips are both equally fabulous with this dip—their crunch and salt complement the creamy, citrusy flavors.
- Grilled meat like Citrus-Marinated Skewers would work great either on its own or with grilled vegetables like eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower, and even potatoes.
- Take it to another level by spreading the Avocado Green Goddess on grilled bread for an open-faced sandwich or mix shredded chicken or tuna with a few spoonfuls for an instant creamy salad.
- You could also thin out the dip with a splash of milk or water to make a dressing for a Green Goddess Chicken and Bean Salad, or use it to dress up simple greens.
- I have a Green Goddess Hummus in my cookbook, so after trying this creamy, dreamy dip on its own, I mixed it with some of the Ithaca Hummus for an extra zesty, herb-a-licious dip that I’ll be eating on repeat this summer.
Tal’s Mediterranean Babaganoush (16 oz.)
Eggplant is at its best in dip form. Babaganoush has always been my favorite Mediterranean dip for its simplicity. Tal’s version only has four ingredients: smoky roasted eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, and salt. And I tasted every one of those with each bite of the dip, which was not too thin or too thick—just right.
There were bits of eggplant that didn’t get fully blended in that added a nice textural contrast, and the smokiness is natural and pronounced. The ingredient list doesn’t include liquid smoke—just charred eggplant providing that smoky flavor. This is on par with the restaurants I order from and the lightest dip texturally with the boldest flavor of the three new Costco dips.
Best ways to serve
- Double the eggplant, double the fun with a Halloumi and Eggplant Salad served with dollops of babaganoush and pita.
- Plate it up with Roasted Carrots and Chickpeas with Marinated Feta, some form of carb dipper (pita, naan, flatbread, chips), and build perfect bites.
- To go with the grilled theme, grill your crudités! Some bell peppers, cauliflower, and snap peas all blistered on the grill would be fabulous.
- Grab a Costco rotisserie chicken and slice it up for this or any of the dips above for an easy meal with no cooking involved.
